Car-coupling



J. E. SWOPE.

GAR COUPLING.

(No' Model.)

I. fwanfor Patented Dec. .22. 1885.

.ing-bar B is attached.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFicn.

JOHN EDWIN SWOPE, OF ELIZAVILLE, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,847, dated December 22, 1885.

Application filed August 24, 1895. Serial No. 175,146. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN EDWIN Sworn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizaville, in the county of Boone and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Oar- Goupling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the mechanism for coupling railroad-cars; and the objects of my invention are, first, to make a device that will be selfcoupling; second, that can be uncoupled from the top of the car; third, that can be uncoupled from either side of the train; fourth, that will couple on cars of different heights; and, fifth, to enable the 'cars to be coupled by means of the link and pin of common form where the invention is not on both cars. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a part of a freightcar, showing my complete invention; Fig. 2, a top view of the locking-bars, with the other parts detached; Fig. 3, a side view of the complete device, showing its connection with the coupling device on the next car.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the car, a the buffer to which the lock- The locking-bar B is provided with a hook or catch, 1), on its outer end, and its inner end is forked to receive the catch b of the coupling on the next car. These forks are wide apart to give sufficient vertical latitude in case the device on the next car may not be at exactly the same height as on the other. The upper fork, O, is extended to form the lever L, which is made to stand at right angles to the fork 0. It is rigidly attached to the fork and isa part of it. The locking-bar B is pivoted to the buffer at the angle between the fork and the lever, so that when the outer end of the lever is drawn or pushed around under the car the locking-bar will swing outward and become disengaged from the coupling on the car next to it. The lower fork, D, is hinged immediately under A pin, a, ex-

The fork D is pivoted To this pin is fastened The object of the spring S is to force the locking-bar back firmly against, the lug m on the under face of the buffer, in which position it is ready to make a coupling with the next car. make it slip into position between the forks, and by the exertion of the spring couple automatically when the two cars come together. The bent lever T, running from the top of the car, presses against the lever L, and enables the brakeman' to uncouple the cars while standing on top of the car. and crank P is connected by the chain Z with the rod of the lever L, and allows the cars to be uncoupled from the side.

It will be seen that my device is attached entirely below the common buffer, and admits of the use of the old style of coupling with link and pin when both cars are not provided with my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a car-coupling, the locking-bar B, having the rounded head or catch 12, and the forks O D, to receive the catch 1), in combination with the spring S, lever L, bent lever T, to uncouple from the top of the car, and the bent lever and crank P, and chain Z, to uncouple from the side of the car, substantially as described, and. for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed 0 my signature in presence of two witnesses.

The hook or catch b is rounded to The bent lever 70 JOHN EDWIN SWOPE.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEPHENSON, J OSEPH O. SILVER. 

